Our Provenance Guarantee
Purchase with confidence. All of our wines are selectively sourced and thoroughly inspected for authenticity and signs of poor storage. Accepted bottles are preserved in our climate-controlled cellar until they reach your doorstep. We have no storefront and no walk-in traffic, so nothing is moved or handled between inspection and shipping.
The bottle you see photographed is the bottle you receive (or fundamentally identical when multiple bottles are listed), and our commitment to you is that it arrives as represented. If it doesn’t, we want to hear from you.
Special Note: Interested in splitting up the case and buying just 1 or 2 bottles? Contact us and we may oblige.
Ratings & Tasting Notes:
No tasting notes yet released.
Cult Wines International Notes:
Penultimate is an essential chapter in the story of Promontory, the “wild territory” discovered by H. William Harlan in the 1980s and finally acquired by the Harlan family in 2008. While the flagship Promontory wine represents the pinnacle of this rugged, metamorphic landscape, Penultimate serves as a dedicated exploration of the estate’s evolution. First released with the 2012 vintage, it is crafted from specific vineyard blocks—primarily younger vines—that are on the threshold of reaching the “ultimate” standards required for the flagship blend. Managed today by Will Harlan and winemaker David Cilli, Penultimate is more than a second label; it is a critical R&D platform where the winemaking team fine-tunes their understanding of the canyon’s unique soils and microclimates, often experimenting with different farming techniques and longer élevage in large Austrian oak casks.
The 2021 vintage for Penultimate is defined by the “redemption” of Napa Valley following the challenges of 2020. The growing season was marked by a persistent drought, receiving only a fraction of the historical average rainfall, which naturally restricted vine vigor and resulted in exceptionally small, thick-skinned berries. Despite the dry conditions, the season was mercifully free of extreme heat spikes, allowing for a steady and “pure” ripening process. At the Promontory estate, the 2021 harvest began in late August and was completed by mid-September, capturing a wine of immense structural focus and aromatic brilliance. The 2021 Penultimate reflects this tension, offering the signature “wild” character of the site—crushed rock, graphite, and mountain herbs—wrapped in a concentrated core of dark fruit and vibrant acidity that promises a long, graceful life in the cellar.
Bottle Size:
3 pack – 750 mL each
Storage History:
Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.
Condition:
Perfect.
